Long Road to Ruin
by silverhelix428
Summary: A 23-year-old Nathan meets an intriguing blonde woman named Meredith while on a trip with his friends. They start a romance and all is going fine until a malicious, powerful man from Meredith's past intervenes. TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. Prologue

**Title**- Long Road to Heartbreak  
**Author**- Victoria  
**Rating**- PG-13, barring any dirty thoughts  
**Characters/Pairings**- Meredith/Nathan, stalker!Eric Doyle, general Petrelli-ness, a few OCs  
**Summary**- A 23-year-old Nathan meets an intriguing blonde woman named Meredith. They start a romance and all is going fine until a malicious, powerful man from Meredith's past intervenes. My take on the Meredith/Nathan backstory.

**A/N**- I've seen this done before, but it never felt quite... right... to me. So I may as well write my version. I don't know how frequent updates are going to be, because I have a schedule like you wouldn't believe. College applications are evil. EVIL. Like, Arthur-Petrelli-has-NOTHING-on-them evil. But I'll try to keep it as regular as possible. (And yes, the name Adrian was chosen deliberately)

* * *

Prologue: A Road Trip

_Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.  
-Seneca_

* * *

"I dunno, guys," Nathan Petrelli said, laughing. "A cross-country road trip? Seriously? That's a little sophomoric, don't you think?"

Adrian Guilford, a lanky young man with coffee-colored skin and perpetually laughing eyes, reached across the intervening space and whacked Nathan across the back of the head. "Aw, c'mon man! Stop trying to dazzle us all with your vocabulary, Nate. We're all in this hell they call Pre-Law together; unlike your kid brother, we actually have a clue what you're talking about. So come on, what's the big deal? We're just driving to Vegas. What's wrong with that?"

Nathan shrugged. "It just seems like a waste of time, you know?"

Adrian made a noise of protest. However, it was Mitchell Burns, another of their friends, who replied to Nathan's comment. Mitchell was a short man- really, he barely looked more than a teenager- with bright red hair and a personality to match. "Come on!" he exclaimed. "This is our last summer before law school, Nathan. We're going to be wasting the rest of our lives, suing people or whatever. We totally deserve one last blowout before we get dragged into the world of corporate underhandedness."

"Not that you haven't been there your whole life anyway," Adrian said in a mock-whisper, nudging Nathan in the side.

The elder Petrelli son shot a glare at his best friend. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said stiffly.

"Oh please," Adrian said with an exaggerated eye-roll. Then he continued in a high falsetto quite unlike his usual gravelly tones, "Oh, I'm Arthur Petrelli and I became a billionaire by bailing guys out for Daniel Linderman!"

"Stop it," Nathan said. "That's not something to joke about."

Mitchell smacked Adrian. "Behave, dude. Nate says he doesn't want to talk about it, so he doesn't want to talk about it." Nathan nodded his thanks. "Alright, so, you in or not?" Mitchell asked.

Nathan hesitated, looking torn. Finally, he sighed. "What choice do I have? Somebody's gotta be there to stop you two from getting arrested."

Adrian grinned. "Alright!" he exclaimed. "We're leaving in three weeks!"

* * *

**Y**eah, the prologue is a tad short, but future chapters will be longer. Promise. Reviews = love.


	2. Chapter 1: Departure

**Author's Note-** I had this idea that I wanted Peter to be about nineteen in this fic. The only problem with that? I can actually do math. Nathan had to be at least 35 to be running for Congress in season one, and with Peter only 26, obviously there was a decent age gap between the siblings. So, sadly, Peter is only 13 in this. Oh well. Pubescent Peter still has lots of potential for humor.

* * *

Chapter 1: Departure

_When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.  
~Susan Heller_

_

* * *

_

The day of departure had come, and the Petrelli family was clustered in the opulent foyer of their goliath brownstone. Nathan had a single suitcase with him- the pre-law student was nothing if not a light traveler. Adrian had warned him that the trunk of his sedan wasn't equipped to hold huge amounts of luggage.

"Call us as often as you can," Angela Petrelli counseled him, giving him a hug. "We expect to hear from you every day."

Nathan nodded. "I will, Ma. You know me- Mr. Responsibility."

Arthur snorted derisively. "I still don't like this idea of yours, Nathan," he said. "There's a lot of potential for getting in trouble in Las Vegas; god knows what could happen. It could be crippling to your career if you were caught in a compromising position with some pricey woman."

"Yeah, well, if that happens, I'm sure Mr. Linderman will always be willing to let me bail criminals out of jail," Nathan said icily to his father. "God knows, it's worked well enough for you."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment as father and son glared at each other. It was always this way with the two of them- though Arthur clearly favored Nathan in all things, he also set higher standards for him. It infuriated Nathan: sometimes, he just wished his father would ignore him the way he tended to ignore Peter. True to form, the younger sibling had all the luck.

"Well, then... goodbye, Son," Arthur said at last.

Nathan nodded.

All at once, a dark-headed teenager came barreling into the hall. "Nathan, wait!" Peter called. Nathan couldn't help but smile at the sight of his awkward little brother. He had just hit that stage where he shot up in height, but still hadn't quite grown into his feet yet. His wide, supremely innocent brown eyes and the long lock of hair that was perpetually falling into his eyes only increased his resemblance to a puppy. He was wearing his favorite _Buffy: The Vampire Slayer_ T-shirt, and Nathan couldn't help but think that his baby brother was going to be a perpetual geek.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere, buddy," he said, grinning. "Not right this very second."

Peter skidded to a stop on the flagstones, halting just short of his brother. Instead of his usual rib-cracking hug, Peter extended his hand for a very formal handshake. "Have fun, Nate," he said.

Nathan laughed and shook his brother's hand. "I'll do that," he said.

"Take tons of pictures for me," Peter pleaded.

It was too much, and Nathan pulled him into a hug. "I'll do you one better," he said. "I'll bring you back a couple of theatre posters for your collection, okay? I'll stop at the Penn and Teller Theatre, and try to find a few from the off-Broadway shows."

Peter's eyes widened. "You're the best, Nate!" he exclaimed.

Nathan chuckled. "What are big brothers for, huh?" He ruffled Peter's hair, much to the teenager's irritation, then picked up his suitcase. "I'll be back in a month weeks," he said. Then he turned away and, with a final wave to his family, walked out the front door and down to his waiting friends.

* * *

"Alright!" Mitch said as they sped out of the tunnel and officially passed into New Jersey. "Open road, here we come!"

Adrian "humphed" in the front seat. "Yeah, says the guy who's not driving," he said. "Man, how are we gonna work this? We gonna actually bother stopping for the night, or should we drive in shifts?"

"I vote get us to Sin City as soon as possible!" Mitch exclaimed with a whoop. "I'll drive when you start falling asleep at the wheel, yeah?"

"I will not fall asleep at the wheel!" Adrian protested.

Mitch socked him in the arm, and Nathan intervened, leaning forward between the seats to push Mitch back. "Hey, no hitting the driver!" he exclaimed. "You want us all to die?"

The redheaded man glared at him. "Aw, c'mon Nate, loosen up! Mommy and Daddy aren't here to glare over your shoulder now- you can take that tie out of the chokehold it's got on your neck."

"That doesn't make it okay to risk all our lives," Nathan said stiffly, sitting back again.

* * *

Forty-eight hours and several changes of drivers later, and Adrian was exhausted. "C'mon guys," he said, "sleeping in the backseat just doesn't cut it anymore. And we gotta eat sometime!"

"Yeah, I'm starving," Nathan said with a sigh. "How about we pull off here and get some breakfast or something, at least. I could really go for some coffee right about now. I don't suppose they've got a Golden Bean around here?"

Adrian laughed. "Hey Dorothy, I hate to break it to you, but we're not in New York anymore. I'm pretty sure we've got to just make do with Starbucks like the plebs."

Nathan grimaced. "Well, it'll do. Where the hell are we, anyway?"

Mitch glanced at the signs indicating a turnoff from the interstate just ahead. "We seem to have crossed into Texas a few hours ago," he said. "Huh. Anyway, this next town is called Kermit."

"Like the frog?" Nathan asked.

"Yep," Mitch said. "Alright, Adrian, this is as good as anything. At least we'll be able to get some donuts or something."

Smoothly, Adrian guided his sedan onto the wide curve of the exit ramp. A sign posted along the side of the road read _Welcome to Kermit, Population 1,500_. "Oh great," Nathan said. "Just perfect- it's Hicksville, America."

Adrian turned around and grinned at him as they pulled off the exit ramp onto the small highway that ran through the town, but at that moment, Mitch yelled "Look out!"

The black man turned around to look where he was going and immediately slammed on the breaks with a look of horror on his face. A red pickup truck was swerving into the wrong lane, heading directly toward them...


	3. Chapter 2: Unexpectedly Pleasant Wreck

**Author's Note-** I'm loving the plot I have for this fic. Seriously, this is the clearest idea I've had for a plot in a long time. Thank you all for your kind comments on the last chapter, and now, without further ado, I give you Chapter Two!

* * *

Chapter Two: Unexpectedly Pleasant Car Wreck

_Most travel is best of all in the anticipation or the remembering; the reality has more to do with losing your luggage.  
~Regina Nadelson_

_

* * *

_

Adrian swerved wildly, spinning the steering wheel as sharply as possible in an attempt to avoid the oncoming collision. The red pickup swerved away as well, and impact was avoided, but Adrian's sedan was now out of control. All of them yelling, they slid into the ditch and careened into a tree. After a deafening collision, a few moments of silence reigned inside the car.

"Shit," Mitch breathed finally, breaking the stunned quiet.

It seemed to snap the other two out of the daze they were in. "Oh hell!" Adrian yelled, flinging open his door and crawling out to examine the damage. He bent down to examine the crumpled hood, from beneath which a thin stream of smoke was issuing. "Just fucking great!"

Nathan clambered dazedly out of the back seat, clutching his head, just as the red pickup that had caused them to swerve in the first place skidded to a halt on the shoulder. A scrawny, mean-looking teenager was visible in the driver's seat, staring sullenly at the crunched-up sedan. As Nathan watched, a woman hopped out of the passenger seat. "Dammit, Flint!" she yelled, slamming the door of the pickup shut behind her.

She was wearing a pair of tight faded jeans and a loose pink blouse that was just translucent enough to give Nathan a sight of her black bra. Her golden curls fell across her shoulders, glinting in the bright Texas sunlight, and she fixed him with a pair of blue-green eyes that made him go just a little weak in the knees as she strode across the intervening space, her well-worn cowboy boots crunching on the gravel on the shoulder. She appeared to be about twenty, just a few years younger than himself. Maybe it was just dizziness from where he'd hit his head on the car window, but Nathan was enchanted.

"Hey fellas," she said in a slight Texas accent as she reached them. "I am _so_ sorry. I was teaching my little brother how to drive--" At this point she turned and glanced over her shoulder to give the teenager a withering glare. "--And, well, he's not exactly the brightest. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nah, we can handle it," Mitch said, even as Nathan asked, "Do you have a cell phone?"

The woman looked over at Nathan and smiled. "'Fraid not," she apologized. Suddenly, those captivating eyes widened. "Hey, you're hurt!" She hurried over to him and pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket, pressing it to his forehead. "There y'are," she said. "Now hold that there, it oughta stop the bleeding alright. You must've hit your head in the crash." Nathan put his hand up to hold the square of fabric in place and his fingers brushed against hers. He could swear she turned a little pink before she turned away from him.

She glanced at Adrian, asking his permission to pop the hood. He shrugged, and with some difficulty she managed to prize up the twisted sheet of metal to examine what was underneath. She leaned over the engine block, and Nathan was treated to a very nice view of her behind. After some minutes of digging around under the hood, she stood up with a sigh. "Looks like your crank shaft's totally busted and your cylinder head's all smashed up, among other things," she said, wiping the grease from her hands. "It's gonna be a pretty pricey repair job, boys."

"You know cars?" Mitch asked in surprise.

With a shrug, she said, "My daddy used to run an auto garage."

Adrian sighed. "This is just great," he muttered. "What do we do now?"

She hesitated, then said, "How about I take your friend here into town to get somebody to look at his head, and then I'll call Bill Sambry and have him bring the tow-truck out here, 'kay? He can get it into the shop and hopefully all fixed up in a couple days."

"I don't need--!" Nathan protested, but the guys were nodding. "Fine," he muttered.

"C'mon then," the woman said gently, putting her hand gently on his elbow. He shook her off; he might have hit his head, but not _that_ hard. He didn't need to be supported like an invalid. She shrugged. "Have it your own way, then." When they reached the truck, she opened up the driver's side door and pulled her brother forcibly out by the elbow. "Now, Flint, you behave," she warned. "Daddy'll tan your hide anyway, but you sure as hell gonna act your age while I'm gone, you got me?"

The kid shrugged, not meeting his sister's eyes. She sighed and hopped into the driver's seat.

Nathan slid into the passenger's seat, and once the door was shut behind him, she put the car in gear and eased away from the shoulder. "So..." she said, apparently unconscious of the very uncomfortable nature of the silence. "What's your name?"

"Nathan. Nathan Petrelli."

She half-turned to face him, keeping one eye on the road. "I'm Meredith Gordon," she said, extending her hand frankly for him to shake. "And though I'm sure it ain't gonna help make you feel too good after all this mess, welcome to Kermit."

He shook her hand. For a woman with such soft hands, he wondered at her firm grip. For a moment, their eyes met, and Nathan again felt that light-headed rush. _Get a grip, Petrelli_, he cautioned himself. This wasn't like him. He chased sophisticated women, easy blondes, sorority girls. Not sweet Texas girls with an impressive knowledge of the inner workings of automobiles. Oh well, he decided, he could at least enjoy the view...


	4. Chapter Three: Complications

**Author's Note-** Sorry about the update delay. Finals and such have been driving me to distraction, and then I spent the holidays in a recuperative coma. And then classes started again, and it was... I don't know. Things have been insane. Add to that my resurgence of interest in Gilmore Girls and the amazing adorable perfection that is Rory and Jess (dear GOD Milo was cute as Jess!!!), and the fic I've been working on for that fandom, and you get major delays. Hopefully I'll be better in future, okay?

* * *

Chapter Three: Complications

_A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.  
~Lao Tzu_

_

* * *

_

"Now, you're going to want to keep those covered for at least two days, and come back here in two weeks to have the stitches out," the nurse said, handing him a plastic bag full of bandages.

"Thanks," Nathan muttered, taking it.

He quickly vacated the examination table upon which he had been forced for the past half hour, and hurried out into the hallway. Meredith Gordon stood there staring at the cell phone in her hand, looking mildly upset. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Meredith looked up, apparently only just realizing that he stood there. "Oh, yeah, it's just.... um, that was Flint. My brother? He's at the auto shop with your friends."

"That's... your father's place, right?" Nathan asked, searching through his memories of their awkward attempts at conversation on their drive to the hospital.

She shook her head, looking uncomfortable. "No. A big Auto Zone moved in three years ago, and you know how chain stores can be; my dad's body shop failed."

"Oh. Sorry," he said uncomfortably.

Meredith shrugged. "Not your fault," she said bluntly. "Anyway, your buddy- what did you say his name was? Adrian? He said you need to get down there as soon as they got your head sewn back together. So... you need a lift?"

Nathan nodded gratefully. "I don't know the town, I'd get lost if I tried to walk it."

The blonde snorted. "You only say that 'cause you haven't seen Kermit. Trust me, you ain't gonna get lost walkin' it. But you've been knocked upside the head. It's probably not a good idea for you to go wandering about, 'specially as it's about a million degrees outside."

Unexpectedly touched by her genuine concern for a total stranger, he smiled. "Thanks."

"Let's get going, then," she said.

* * *

"Car's totalled," Adrian said simply and bitterly.

Mitch was sulking in a corner while Adrian stood before his damaged sedan and ran a hand over his hair in frustration. Nathan stood next to him, staring dumbly at the vehicle. "So what now?" he asked.

Adrian shrugged. "They can repair it, and money's obviously not an issue. But it's gonna take 'em weeks, so unless we rent a car, we're not getting to Vegas."

"Fabulous," Nathan groaned. "Just wonderful."

"And the worst of it is, they want one of us to stay here as a sort of show-of-good-faith thing. Like I would seriously total this baby and just _leave_ it here?" Adrian muttered angrily. "But still. Somebody has to stay _here_ in this _hellhole_ of a small town for _weeks_ while some Joe the Mechanic type messes with the damn car!"

Mitch chose this opportunity to pipe up, "Sure as hell not gonna be me! This whole trip was my idea, no _way _am I missing out on Vegas!"

The point was fairly valid. Mitch had even offered to pay for gas for the entire trip in order to convince Adrian, who was by no means wealthy, to drive. He had the right to at least see his grand scheme through to the end. Adrian and Nathan glanced uncomfortably at each other, and Nathan sighed, knowing even before their eyes met how this was going to play out.

"You know, I'd be okay with staying," Adrian said. His eyes said differently.

Nathan shook his head. "No, man, I got this one. Dad wasn't too keen on the idea of me getting in trouble in Sin City anyway." He passed his comment off with a winning smile and a shrug, as if it really weren't that big a deal. But it was. Once his two friends had managed to convince him it was a good idea, he had really been looking forward to spending time away from New York, away from his family, away from that indefinable pressure whose source he'd never quite been able to pinpoint. He'd wanted to be free for awhile. Now he was trapped, but in a different kind of cage, and one that was certainly less comfortable. "I'll book a motel," he said. "You guys can rent a car in the morning and head out. Then you can pick me up on the way back home."

His carefully contrived, easy-looking smile was still on his face as the three of them left the auto shop. None of them had noticed Flint sitting in the corner throughout the conversation.

* * *

"Flint, c'mon, we gotta get home," Meredith said firmly, grabbing her little brother by the elbow and dragging him up out of his chair.

He jerked his arm away from her. "Do we have to?" he whined.

Meredith hesitated. She knew he wasn't just being petulant- going home, today, probably meant a very personal encounter between Flint's backside and a belt once Daddy found out about the accident. Even though the truck hadn't been damaged, he'd still be furious with Flint for causing a crash in the first place. But apparently her little brother didn't take her hesitation for pity, because he sought to distract her.

"Your new boyfriend's staying in town."

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "He's not my-- what did you say?"

Flint shrugged. "He's not going with his friends to Vegas. Apparently Johnny wants him to stick around town to make sure they don't just ditch the car. So he's gonna be around for a couple days."

Meredith bit her lip, contemplating, as she opened up the driver's side door of the pickup. She liked Nathan quite a lot. He was handsome and interesting. But she refused to let herself get too excited about the prospect of him staying in town. What could possibly happen? He was too much of a Prince Charming, the type to come and rescue the princess from her rags and ashes. And Meredith had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't going to get a knight in shining armor, let alone a Prince Charming. She was a realist. Life just didn't work that way.


End file.
